Sax player

[jamminOnThe1]

Just wondered if DSO ever considered bringing on a sax player. I'm listening to 12/31/90 Oakland Eyes with Branford Marsalis rockin out

[oysterhead]

I vote no..

[chuckvegas]

The DSO shows with Martin Fierro were fun but overall I'm + 1 on the negative side.

[comesatime]

a BIG no for me ...

[bs69]

please no

[Tom Banjo]

I'm gonna have to say NO! If I want horns w my dead, I yell break out the dog. I could handle a sit in, especially if it was appropriate to the recreation but no way do I want a sax player in this band.

[Dead duck]

I'll second that, a RARE sit in.

[Tea]

Name a song from any artist with a sax solo/accompaniment that made it the real deal. Springsteen and Charlie Parket don't count

[jamminOnThe1]

Yeah, I was def just talking about an appropriate sit in. Oh well just a thought.

[Scott Timmins!]

Only if they can get Brandford, himself, to play!

[Tea]

Ok....maybe JGB 9/10/89? Hmmmm.....

[chuckvegas]

Martin sat in at some appropriate Fillmore shows some few years ago...at least that's the way I remember it...

[comesatime]

Ok....maybe JGB 9/10/89? Hmmmm.....

Saw Clarence with Jerry a month or two earlier in 89 at the Warfield ... I love the Big Man , I'm a Bruce fan from way back , it was fun to see him on stage with Jerry , but the sax sound don't fit , not Clarence's anyway ... I think I enjoyed the Branford sit in at the Garden at the time , but not enough to want it on a regular basis ...

[gr8fulpair]

Definitely an interesting added element to certain songs. I'd dig it in the right setting.

[robbok3]

Many years ago, at Navy Pier, we did the Nassau Show with our very good friend Pat Mallinger on sax. He has played with us a few times over the years.  Very good player, very tasty and a bidg Dead fan.  He holds down the late night slot on Saturdays at the world famous Green Mill.  Always inredible and he has some great jazz arrangements of Dead tunes that he throws in every so often.

Check it out.

[Tom Banjo]

I've been to the green mill. Great jazz spot in Chicago.

[Dr. Vapor]

I was at the Pat Mallinger Show at the Navy Pier back in the day and it rocked....very moving ....the Eyes was off the chart good....Scarlet Filler...anyway...many people dont know that the Dead were very close to adding Clarence to their band back in the 90s.... the Boss was going in a different direction with the E Street band and Clarence was living with Weir in SF at the time I think. Jerry of course loved him and he played a lot of shows with JGB.....the drummers said No as the story goes....also I have enjoyed Kenny at the Rad Dog shows that I saw and I think it adds a certain deep richness to the music....It would be cool to see every now and then.   my two cents...Dr. V

[chuckvegas]

I remember even being able to get a seat one time at the Green Mill for the show after the show and ordering a nice refreshing Bacardi and rum. That was a good night.

[John A]

My rambling nickel’s worth on Dead-Sax…

 

I saw a DSO show at the Mystic with Martin Fierro.   It was an elective show and it was good; I enjoyed his presence, but as others have alluded to I wouldn’t want it for a whole tour or even run.

 

I think that JGB, with its more open arrangement and more gospel bent, was far more suited to a sax than the Dead.  Clarence, for example, was good in the two shows I saw him sit in with JGB (Spring ’89 at the Orpheum) but not so good in his stints with the Dead.  The made for TV 6/21/89 solstice show at Shoreline was downright weak, and this was coming off two incredible show on 6/18 and 6/19.  One could blame the broadcast aspect of the evening but Clarence didn’t help.  Branford was much better but his appearances never equaled the legendary 3/29/90 Nassau show, although 12/31/90 was pretty formidable.

 

Ornette Coleman made what seemed like a token appearance at Mardi Gras 2/23/93.   It was as if the Dead didn’t even adjust their set for him (Other One->Stella->Lovelight ).  I remember thinking during the Stella, “What’s the point of this?”

 

While somewhat more controversial, I thought David Murray breathed needed life into the Fall ’93 MSG run.  Not enough life, however, as after the awesome, extended Estimated (9/22/93) the Dark Star was inexplicably truncated – and flaccid for that matter.  But the real cream on the Murray pie was the JGB show 11/12/93 at MSG.  Whatever influence he held over Jerry that night, Garcia turned back the clock and raged beyond what would seem possible given the era.  If you are unfamiliar with this show, check out Lay Down Sally and Tangled Up In Blue.  Holy Christ!

[gratefulfordso27]

Love me some kenny though!!